The European Commission today gave the go‑ahead to aid arrangements worth around € 0.5 billion for ten airports in Poland.

The support measures notified by the Polish authorities are for the existing small regional airports near Poznań, Rzeszów, Cracow, Łódź and Bydgoszcz, and for future airports to serve Lublin, Modlin, the Podlasie region, Olsztyn-Szymany and Zegrze Pomorskie.

The small regional airports can benefit fromsubsidies equalto the full investment costs, while support for the medium‑sized Poznań and Cracow airports is limited to 76% of the costs. The measures will be cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund to the tune of around € 192 million.

The aid will be granted by the national, regional and local authorities. Among other things, it will be used to help with the construction of new terminal buildings and more modern runways. It may take the form of subsidies, transfers of land and equipment, or injections of capital.

The Commission decided that the measures served clearly defined objectives that are in the wider public interest, such as the development of transport networks and making the regions concerned more accessible. It also found that the aid was proportional and necessary. The measures were therefore deemed to be compatible with the EC Treaty.